Also, no one likes paying that one month fee, but agents are convenient and can show many flats per outing. Just looking at more flats can save you money as landlords price them all over, so some dump of a flat for 1200 ends up a nice place for 1200 after looking through enough agents and their inventory. That of course is tiring and time consuming, but already lessened by agents being able to show multiple properties within their area. Also, some other alternatives like GoK have prices about the same after including an agents fee or 58.com is just full bait and switch or agent listing anyways. If you had months, I think a good way is to ask around everyone and anyone you meet where they live and what's rent. Maybe that's why the Chinese do it all the time.

Also, I resigned with my landlord without the agent for my second year lease. So if you are thinking a place could be home for longer than just one lease, then the agent's fee stings a little less, well not really, still sucks forking over one months rmb.

Maybe that's why their having a half price promotion ;)

永德县乌木龙
Interesting, didn't realize a yi group would hold their torch festival 5 days post everyone else.

Google maps says it's a ten hour drive by car from Kunming. If you really wish to see this, you probably need to depart for Lincang on the 25th and then find a driver or bus the morning of the 26th that will take you to wumulong, 乌木龙. If you have no Chinese friends to assist, then you need to hire a travel agent. Search this site for John Xie or Wonders of Yunnan. Or if you are a brave well seasoned adventurer, you could try on your own after researching on the net for days and then armed with your guidebook. Or if you are rich or someone else is footing the bill, then just buy a ticket to Lincang from the airport, and then pay whatever the private drivers at Lincang airport demand for a trip to wumulong. Wait, what am I saying, rich people don't come to Yunnan or ask for travel advice on GoK.

In the 50s, all the docs in the UK smoked. So many, that one brilliant researcher decided to do a study on smoking and just recruited doctors as subjects. Once published and doctors read that smoking was killing doctors, they all began to quit and told their patients smoking was unhealthy.

@mPRin
I'd still go with agents if you only got weeks. After you see a flat within your needs and budget, tell the agent, that they need to get the landlord to lower the rent some so you can cover their fee. Then the agent can do the calculus, as long as you pay the same overall.